The Guardian

Epilogue

September 11, 2011 – New York City

"I'm sorry," Nora said composing herself, as they rushed through the empty streets of New York. "I know you hate it when I'm like this."

"Maybe if you didn't wear your heart on your fucking sleeve, you'd handle this shit better," Jack grumbled.

"I see your mood hasn't improved," she mumbled back, but he heard her all the same. Jack had always been on the gruff side, rough around the edges, 'a generally surly person,' Doc called him. He didn't care. He wasn't in this to make friends. In fact, the fewer friends he made the better. Jack cared only about the woman he was currently tugging a bit too roughly through the city streets.

Ever since they met, it was all trauma and mayhem. Mostly trauma and mayhem. Not trauma and mayhem that Jack had caused, but they didn't typically sit down and watch T.V. on a Wednesday night like a normal couple either. Nora looked thinner than she was before he left a mere three days earlier. Knowing Nora, she got so involved with being angry with Jack for taking off without a word that she forgot about life's little details—like eating.

"Jack," she said stopping suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk.

If this were September 10th, she'd have been trampled. A person didn't stop and ogle like a tourist—at least not in this part of town. It was all big businesses. But there was no one around them now to care.

"What's the matter? What's wrong?"

"I love you." Now? She picked now for the mushy stuff?

"Okay." Jack nodded and turned away. He was anxious to get off the streets. He was wearing a military uniform. Sooner or later, someone was going to put him to work again.

"Jack." There was a bit of a whine to her voice. All right, he fucked up. But he wasn't good with the mush.

"Nora." Jack could whine, too.

"Haven't you missed me at all?"

"Well, that's a stupid question."

She looked at him and stuck her bottom lip out slightly. Damn that pout. "All right. If I have to be stuck on this planet for centuries with anyone, it might as well be with you. Can we get off the street now?"

"Really, Jack, you send my heart all aflutter," she said dryly.

"I find it statistically impossible that you don't know I'm crazy when I'm not with you. How's that? I go nuts when I can't see you for myself and know you're all right. I wonder if you've been hurt while we've been apart or sick. It makes me insane sometimes. Three fucking days I've seen you smiling at me in that stupid tent in my dreams, and I just smiled back like an idiot when all I've really wanted to do is grab you in my arms, shake you, and tell you I love you. Good enough?"

"You are so sweet."

"Fuck this," Jack huffed and turned back down the street, towing her along. "P.S. Nora, someone's still trying to kill us."

"Yes, I seem to remember the constant threat of death."

"So let's get out of plain sight."

"By the way, I love the way you look in uniform."

"Better than the bleeding heart you are."

"One day, when this is all over, I'm going to be a stripper."

"That's not even funny as a joke."

"And I'll be the best damn stripper around. I'll make hundreds of dollars a night on lap dances alone."

"You're the one that says I need to curb my temper. Becoming a stripper is not going to achieve that goal."

"You're cute when you're mad," she smiled.

"Then by now, I should be downright fucking adorable."

Finally, Jack stopped at a little unassuming boutique. He plunged into the dark alley and Nora scurried along with him. They were one of the few—if not the only—people in New York City that would thoughtlessly go into a dark alley not carrying a gold shield. Jack did have a gun with him, but he figured all the drug dealers and thieves had taken cover. When he stopped at the door at the back of the building, his annoyance grew.

"Fuck."

"What's wrong?"

"They changed the lock."

"Of course they changed the lock. You disappeared for three days! We had no idea where you were! Not even a Post-It note stuck to the fridge! You could have been kidnapped or killed!"

Something didn't feel right though. Maybe it was the day, but his suspicions were aroused. Jack eased her out of the way a bit, planted one foot and kicked the door in with the other.

"That was hot," Nora beamed at him. "Doc's going to be pissed. You could have knocked."

"It's not like this door provides any kind of protection anyway."

Since someone was trying to kill them and they had been found before, Jack drew his sidearm. The building was too quiet. The city was too quiet. It was the perfect opportunity for Rogan. He used every chance he got. And at the moment, it was too soon to tell if Rogan was behind this.

"I hate this part," Nora said, grabbing onto his jacket and sticking close. "Everything was fine this morning when I left."

"Can't you feel it?" Jack asked quietly as they moved along.

"Yes, unfortunately, I can."

She knew the drill all too well. After all, Jack had fired his gun from on top of her plenty of times before. He led them down the dark hallway with his gun pointing the way. There were three people Jack would not shoot on sight right then, and one of them was behind him. His gun was trained on the door in front of them when they got to the end of the hall. Nora opened the panel next to them that looked like a regular electrical breaker box and dropped her palm onto the infrared identification screen inside. There was a faint beep, and the door opened.

"All systems still go," she murmured.

Jack stepped inside first. When Nora didn't immediately hear bullets flying, she joined him. The hall had been clear, and all seemed well. The T.V. was on and light flooded the main living room. He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, unlatched the safety on his gun, and pointed it directly at the newcomer's forehead, right between the eyes.

"Oh, Jack, how I've missed you," their welcoming party said dryly. "Is this any way to greet a lady?"

Jack lowered his gun and kicked the door shut behind them. "Is there food?"

"Still in the same bad mood you were in when you left, I see. I don't suppose you'd like to share the details of your little adventure with the rest of the class?"

Jack grunted and walked to the open kitchen. He had been hauling steel and bodies all day. That would work up anybody's appetite. Nora, however, stepped forward to give Bridget a proper greeting.